Railway-switch



(No Model.) R. W. FARRELL. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 310,396. Patented Jan. 6, 41885.

WITNESSBS j? mVENToR.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOB.

M/fl; ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) R. W. FARRELL.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

WITNES'SBS Unirse STATES Artnr Critica.

ROBERT TWILLIAM FARRELL, OF VHEATLAND, INDIANA.

RAiLWAY-SWITCH.

{IIJC'IFIGATIQN fel-thing part of Letters Patent No. 310,396, dated January 6, 1885.

Application tiled October :16, 1883.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. FARRELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vheatland, in the county of Knox and State oflndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a plan view of my improved railway-switch, showing the same locked in its open position to admit the free passage of trains upon the main line or track. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the switch moved to one side to cause the train to run off upon one of the side tracks. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line x x, Fig. 1, looking in the direction ot' the arrow; and Fig. 4 is a similar View on line y y in the same gure, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to split switches for railways; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the rails ot' the main line, which are secured upon the ties or sleepers B in the usual manner. i

C C and D D represent the rails of the side tracks.

E and F indicate the inside point-rails of the double switch, which are of ordinary construction.

E and F represent the outside switch-rails, the free end of each of the said rails being curved slightly outward, and recessed, 'as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to adapt the said ends to iit' over and upon the top of the main rails A A, when the switch is moved into the position shown in Fig. 2. The outside switch-rails are of such a height as to raise their tops some two or three inches above the main rails at the point where they meet the said rails, the top of each of the said (No model.)

switches being beveled or cut away at their free extremities, to enable the wheels of the train to pass readily from the main line upon the switch, in the manner more fully hereinafter described. The inside point-rail, E', is connected to the outside switch-rail, E, by means of pivoted sliding bars G, the inside point-rail, F, and the outside switch-rail, F, being pivotally connected together in the same manner. The two inside point-rails and the two outside switchrails are pivotally secured nea-r their free ends to a common sliding bar, H, one end of which is connected ,by means of a pitman, I, to the target or hand lever l?, by which the switch is set or adjusted.

Between the main rails A A, and immediately in front of the point-rails E and F, are pivot-ally secured by one of their extremities two guide-blocks, J K, having their upper face provided with a groove adapted to receive the iiange of the ear-wheel, and having the upper faces of their inner or pivoted ends beveled, as shown at j. These guideblocks are connected together by means of a coupling or link, L, (shown in section in Fig. 4. ofthe drawings) and are connected to one of the outside switch-rails by means of a eentrally-pivoted lever, M, and pitmen N O.

The manner in which my improved railway-switch is operated is as follows: When the train is to pass on upon the mainline, the switch is set as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thereby leaving the main line perfectly clear and free from all obstruction. When it is desired to switch the train upon that one oi' the side tracks which is to the right, looking in the direction of the arrow in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, the target or hand lever is turned so as, by means of the intervening mechanism previously described, to bring the outside switch-rail, F, in against the right-hand main line or rail, the recessed and beveled extremity of the switch-rail F fitting over and against the top of the main rail. rlhe point-rail Fl fits against the inside ofthe left-hand main rail, and the right-hand guide-block .I meets the inside of the righthand main rail at a point opposite the extremity of the right-hand switch-rail F.

The abovementioned arrangement will IOO readily be understood by reference to Fig. 2 ofthe drawings. rIhe wheels of the approaching train first meet the guide-block J, and, rising upon its grooved inclined surface, are carried over the thin extremity of the outside switch-rail, upon the thick part of the same. The outside switch-rail, being of a greater height than the main rail, serves to lift the right-hand wheels of the train over the-main rail, and from that point the height of the outside switch-rails gradually decreases until they are of the same height as the main rails A A. To run the train upon the left-hand side track, the target or hand lever is reversed. Y Y' From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of my improved railway-switch will readily be understood without requiring further explanation.

It will be seen that my improved switch is simple in construction, and, being devoid of all complicated parts, is not liable to get out of order. By constructing it in the manner described the switch-rails are protected from wear, except when in active use.

The guideblocks J and K serve to prevent the reduced ends of the outside switch-rails from being broken off by the weight of the cars.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- As an improvement in railway-switches, the combination of the pivoted outside switchrails, E and F, of a greater height than the rails of the main line, and having outwardlycurved beveled recessed ends, substantially as described, inside point-rails E and F', pivoted guide-blocks J and K, having inclined grooved upper surfaces, and connected together by the link L, sliding bars G and H, lever M, and pitmen I N O, the whole constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBT. VILLIAM FARRELL.

Vitnesses:

Jiiiuns F. XVoon, l HORACE S. ANnERsoN. 

